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Ann Kaplan, President and CEO

Gold Stevie Award Winner 2012, Click to Enter The 2014 American Business Awards

Company: iFinance Canada Inc.
Company Description: For seventeen years iFinance Canada has been Canada’s leading provider of (non- bank) consumer loans. Founded in 1996 by President and CEO, Ann Kaplan, iFinance Canada employs over sixty people through four centers and offers its services through 8000 outlets. With an innovative, profitable model, the Company has consistently been recognized with numerous awards nationally and internation
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Lifetime Achievement – Business

Nomination Title: Ann Kaplan, President and CEO

Describe for the judges the nominated individual's lifetime of accomplishments (up to 525 words):

Ann Kaplan founded iFinance Canada in 1996 with concept to provide money to consumers in the form of loans offered through medical clinics throughout the country. The lending activities expanded to dental (DentalCard), medical (Medicard), home improvement (iFinance Home Improvement) and PayDay Lending (Early Bird Payday Loans) and by 2015, over $1 billion in applications for small unsecured loans had passed through the Company through more than 10,000 Service Providers, nationwide, that offer her financing products. This year Ann expanded her financing products to Brix.Exchange, the first regulated (Securities Act) Real Estate Crowdfunding Portal in Canada. Ann also integrated a consumer to doctor component to the already successful CosmedicList.com portal – where consumers can connect directly with doctors about cosmedic procedures and view answers and information that doctors post.

Life for Ann is not all about business, she has completed her MBA, her MSc, her Corporate Governance Designation, (ICD.d) and is completing her Doctor of Business where she undertook developing an algorithm to determine if a consumer will default on loan.

Her continued focus on the finance world has resulted in Ann presenting at the World Economic Summit, Washington, co-chairing the Shadow Banking Committee at the G20Y Summit in Geneva, 2014 and eleven years as a delegate of the Ontario Economic Summit. She continues to present at Universities and to entrepreneurs and, with over 100 speaking and keynote presentations, she has become a regular public speaker throughout North America and invited keynote at charitable events.

Ann has hosted three television shows, and is a published author of four books. One book (her favorite) “If You Don’t Laugh, You’ll Cry” , a satirical book about the cosmedic enhancement Industry was presented to nominees as a gift during the Emmy’s. Ann’s latest book “Fashion Cares” is a 496 page tabletop limited edition book about the history of raising funds through fashion for AIDS research (book purchases support AIDS research).

Ann’s philanthropic endeavors also include donations to the University of Toronto, where there is a room named after he Company “iFinance Canada Cognitive Cube”. She also support and encourages continued education, in particular for women.

The successes of Ms. Kaplan and the Company have not gone unrecognized - in November 2014, Ann was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame - WXN Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women, she was also named as one of Rotman School, University of Toronto's top ten graduates with a Roma Award in February and is a central winner and finalist for the Canadian Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award - November 2015.

Previously, Ann won the National Canadian Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award (E & Y, Bank of Montreal), The Peak Award of Excellence in Finance, she has been recognized nine times as one of the W100 top 100 women in Canada (business), nine times Profit 100 winner and the prestigious GTA Award for consecutive Growth for her business (the only person in Canada to reach this level).

On a personal level, Ann has eight children, having recently adopted two more following the passing of her beloved sister. She is married to Dr. Stephen Mulholland, Plastic Surgeon, and resides in Toronto.

Provide a brief biography of the nominated individual (up to 125 words):

Ann Kaplan is CEO and President of iFinance Canada. An award-winning businesswoman, popular speaker, author (four books) and media personality featured in hundreds of publications. The 2015 recipient of The Canadian Women Entrepreneur /Year Award (Royal Bank and Deloitte) for central Canada and a National Finalist, Top Female Graduate Award – ROMA – Rotman Business School 2015, Canada’s WXN Hall of Fame 2014, Finalist E & Y Entrepreneur of the Year 2013, Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Year Award; Peak Award/Excellence Finance; 9 x Canada's Profit Top 100; 9x Canadian W100, 3x Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women; Canada's Mompreneur /Year; and top honors for Stevie Entrepreneur/Women in Business, Canadian and International Categories.

Ms. Kaplan has a MBA, MSc, Corporate Governance Designation (ICD.d) and is completing her doctorate.

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